Irvine, Calif. — “There are seven critical stages of engagement in the employment process. We have closely examined how each is currently broken, and are offering creative tips for success at each stage.” says Kim Shepherd, CEO of Decision Toolbox, a nationwide provider of project based hiring and on-demand Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO).
“In the employment process, the third key stage of engagement is INTERVIEWING. Once you’ve successfully attracted a quality applicant pool, then suited and sifted your way through to select your top candidates, how do you effectively spend your time with the most promising talent?,” asks Shepherd.
Interviewing Illusions
According to Shepherd, today’s interviewing illusions include:
• It is a candidate-rich environment, so hiring managers are in the driver’s seat
• Unemployed candidates are not top talent
• Comparative shopping is a good practice
“Let’s burst these illusions right here and now,” says Shepherd. “Yes, it is a candidate-rich environment. However, starting in late 2009, many organizations cut 20% of their workforce — talent with the highest salaries were cut so lots of top talent was added to the applicant pool. This point also pokes a hole in the illusion that unemployed candidates are not top talent. Finally, the notion that hiring authorities are in the driver’s seat and have the luxury of comparative shopping with top talent is a bust. If you’re interviewing a talented professional, they will likely have at least two other opportunities in the mix.”
Stand Out from the Crowd
You don’t want to be a “typical” hiring manager says Shepherd, so get creative:
• Research — Prior to interviews, pull up the candidates on Linked In to find out more about them and work what you know about them into the interview — it’s personal and they will feel you are genuinely interested in them. They will likely leave wanting to work for you.
• Be ahead of the pack — Interview all three candidates on the same day and send a text message that very afternoon to your top candidate(s) asking them back and to be prepared to interview YOU. You have positioned yourself as the employer of choice.
• Communication — As a rule, the hierarchy of candidate communication is: snail mail is trumped by a phone call, a phone call is trumped by email, and email is trumped by a text message.
Finally, when interviewing job applicants remember to be humble. An interview really is a two-way street.
Stay tuned for the next installment in Decision Toolbox’s series when Shepherd will explore the fourth and fifth stages of engagement — HIRING & ONBOARDING.
About Decision Toolbox (DT)
Founded in 1992, Decision Toolbox provides scalable and easily integrated recruitment solutions for a 7% cost per hire on average while incorporating rigorous quality controls and a twelve-month candidate guarantee. Armed with the very latest tools and a team of seasoned US-based Recruiters and Sourcers, Decision Toolbox is an on-demand recruiting department for one critical search, for large projects, or a complete RPO/RPI solution. Decision Toolbox has taken a leadership role in almost every aspect of recruitment, introducing an RPO offering in 2000, four years before it became industry practice.
DT is recognized as a “Thought Leader” by organizations such as SHRM, PIHRA, and the NHRA, and was awarded the 2009 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility. DT is a Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) certified company, the Gold Standard. WBENC Certification validates that the business is 51 percent owned, controlled, operated, and managed by a woman or women.
This press release was distributed through PR Web by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www.HRmarketer.com) on behalf of the company listed above.